What We Least Expect
by Roman Juliet
Summary: Exactly what the title says. What happens when Seimei comes home again, Yuiko's love falls apart, and Yayoi no longer knows how to feel? The unexpected! Also, what's going on with the Zeros...? Rated T for blood :
1. The Wish

**Second Story! I'm so happy I got the first chappy done! Hopefully, I didn't make everyone be too OOC, and I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Loveless, though I would wish to. Especially Ritsuka-kun.^^**

**Ritsuka: You're creepy.**

**RJules: Now you sound like someone else I know... =_="**

**Ritsuka: :P  
**

**Chapter 1: The Wish**

It had been near to three months since that battle, since the day Seimei had lowered his bruised, bloody face and acknowledged defeat. Ritsuka had never thought he'd be forced to see such an expression from his older brother. Never. Not from Seimei. But there it had been. Subdued, broken, nearly blank.

"That expression doesn't belong there. Not on Seimei. His face wasn't meant for surrender," Ritsuka whispered into the cold winter air. He watched as the mist that had been his words floated silently away from his lips, then dissolved. Crossing his fingers in his coat pocket, he closed his eyes and wished as hard as he could that all the worries he harbored in his chest would disappear just as traceless as breaths on the wind. That he would never have to see his older brother beat again... And that his mother would accept him, with or without memory.

He opened his eyes and gave a sheepish laugh, shaking his head. "Too much bad Yuiko influence," he joked, mentally kicking himself for hoping his wishes might come true. "Extremely unlikely." Giving himself an inward shake, Ritsuka opened the front door of his house and stepped inside, leaving fanciful thoughts outside, where they were lost in the howls of the wind.

"Ritsuka?" Misaki's head poked out from the kitchen. "Is that you?"

"Yes, Mother." Ritsuka sighed. She sounded so hopeful still, each time. It hurt to say it, but there was no point in not telling her, so he did. "My memory hasn't returned. I'm still the same."

"Oh" her face fell, disappointment showing in every feature. Since Seimei had returned, her reactions had become much less violent, the worst being the stinging slap Ritsuka had received just yesterday. She never gave up, though, day after day expecting "the real Ritsuka" to come back to her.

His heart ached for her, sometimes he wished he _could_ become who he used to be. _But it can't happen. Wishes don't come true.. right?

* * *

_

Meanwhile...  
The pink-haired cat-girl leaned over a workbook, her pencil poised above the paper, her brow furrowed in thought. A boy beside her sat cross-legged, watching as she tossed a lock of hair behind her shoulder absently. Turning back to his own homework, Yayoi sighed quietly. Why was fate so variable?

_"Aaaaaaaaaaaaagh!"_ He jumped at Yuiko's sudden scream. Yayoi turned to stare as Yuiko smacked her face into her book. "Aww, why's English so hard.." she groaned pitifully.

"It's not so bad," Yayoi returned to studying. "I think it's actually simpler in some ways than Japanese."

"Urghh.. You're no help." Yuiko sat up, exasperated. He glanced over at her, realizing she wanted assistance.

"What're you working on?"

"Compound words." a sigh. "They don't have any certain pattern to them."

Yayoi closed his eyes and exhaled. This would take some time. _I'll tell her, I will_, he promised himself. Right now just wasn't the time for it. He hoped it would be soon. He wished.

* * *

Seimei gazed in the direction of what he used to, and once again, called home. After spending most of this day idly, he itched for something to happen. He wasn't used to the silence. But the shame of losing in a spell battle was worse, in a way. When had Soubi gotten this strong? Or was this Ritsuka's power?

His eyes rested upon the slight figure at the door. When had Ritsuka grown up so much?

It was time to return. There was a lot for them to catch up on. Before he started toward home, his eyelids fluttered, closed, then open again. Seimei didn't believe in wishes. He would make things right himself. The sting of shame was far too little to crush Beloved.

* * *

So this was where the battle would take place. Natsuo chewed his bottom lip thoughtfully.

"Wonder who it'll be this time." his sacrifice grinned.

"It's weird actually, that they didn't reveal their identity, don't you think?" came the distracted answer. Nearby, wind rustled trees' leaves noisily. Natsuo glanced up, searching for the invisible current disturbing the stillness of the park. Another breeze passed over his arm, trailing gently over his skin. Shivering, he rubbed away the chills he couldn't feel, for once uneasy about his and Youji's numbness to pain and temperature.

Nightfall crouched nearby, waiting to come out of hiding and blind the world. The moon hovered in the icy sky. Its light was dim - just a butterfly-in-the-stomach-exciting kind of glow, like in the spooky movies Youji insisted on watching. By now, the constant howl of the wind had grown into something nerve-wracking.

Youji snorted. "Not any weirder than all the other stuff we've met up with."

"You included?" Natsuo stifled a laugh with his hand. Youji's expression was priceless. "You're a picture."

Youji opened and closed his mouth, mock-glaring. "Whatever. Whoever they are, we'll win. After all, we're Zero." Once he'd recomposed himself, he looked confident.

The red-haired sentouki shrugged, masking his nervousness. "I guess." The snap of a twig put him on alert.

"Really. We'll win for sure. Trust me, we'll crush them to dust!" The other grinned evilly.

"Lovely." Natsuo said under his breath, turning to face the direction where the other team was approaching.

He stopped, wide-eyed.

Two girls stepped out of the deeper shadows and stood in plain sight, bathed in the sickly light of one of the park's lamps.

"What-" began Youji, turning, before he caught sight of them.

". . . . ." Zero stared... at Zero.

"We're here." Kouya stated, as if they hadn't noticed.

"Did we make you wait long?" Yamato smirked.

Natuo's blood froze. He wished to the earliest appearing stars that all this wasn't real.

* * *

She listened as Ritsuka entered his room, heard his sigh. Her worried sigh echoed his. The knife she held paused over a carrot and trembled. For the millionth time Misaki wondered if she really _was_ wrong. _Maybe he really is my Ritsuka, just changed and grown up. He can't be, can he?_ A tear of frustration ran down her cheek. Impatiently, she brushed it away, silently offering up a desperate prayer for the answer to everything.

Her face lit up at the sound of the front door. Seimei was home, he could make it all better. With a much lighter heart, Misaki hurried to greet her elder son.

* * *

Yuiko nibbled her pencil, perplexed. She'd come to Yayoi's house to study, but he really wasn't helpful. And these compound words! Was there any formula to them at all? Some were self-explanatory, like raindrop or bathtub, while others made no sense at all. One would think that if you combine the words "butter" and "fly," you'd get something about _bata_ and _hae_, but would you guess what - it actually meant _ch__ōchō!_ Could English get any more ridiculous?

She rubbed her forehead, feeling cranky. Sigh. It hadn't been long since she'd confessed to liking Ritsuka.. and been rejected. Since then, she'd turned to Yayoi for comfort, but.. Yuiko sighed again, laying her head onto her workbook. _He's been behaving different lately. Maybe he's growing up.._ She watched him from the corner of her eye. _Something's strange. He's so serious now._

Checking to make sure he wasn't watching, she closed her eyes, crossed all her fingers - including her thumbs - placed her chin on her palms for luck, fingertips brushing her throat, and made a wish. I wish Yayoi would become his usual friendly self... I wish I wouldn't feel sad... and I wish for Ritsuka-kun to be happy. She opened her eyes and smiled. Three was a lucky number - Yuiko always made her wishes in threes.

The last rays of the sun glinting through the window suddenly seemed more friendly, warm, and hopeful.

Yayoi faced her. "Yuiko-sa-"

"Nooooooooooooo!" Yuiko slapped her hands over her ears.

"Eh?" Yayoi stared blankly.

"Don't say it! I told you not to. Don't say it!"

"But.. you don't even know what I'm going to say."

"Aahhh, why can I still hear you!"

"... Your.. um.. your cat ears.."

"What? What about my cat ears?" Yuiko looked at him curiously.

"They're uncovered."

"Ack!" Embarrassed, she scrambled to cover them, ending up with her elbows over her human-like ears, hands atop her head. _Why, why, WHY does he always call me Yuiko-_**san**_? Aw, trust Yayoi to stiffen things up!_

Hearing Yayoi's muffled groan of exasperation, she smiled slightly and thought, _But I wished. So maybe it'll be alright after all._ The first star winked at her cheerfully from the darkening sky.

* * *

As the brush flew over the canvas, it left a streak of red behind it, then softened the edges, making it blend gently with the rest of the surrounding colors. A minute later it had been turned into a pinkish shade, darker here, lighter there, but fitting perfectly where it was.

Kio stepped back to study his work of art. "Hm.." He shifted his glasses, then nodded, pleased with the effect. According to his watch, he'd have just enough time to finish up before heading off to college. Just as he readied himself to do so, however, his cellphone began ringing, breaking the stillness in the room.

Plucking the lollipop from his mouth, he placed his paints nearby, rummaged in his pocket, and grabbed the cell out.

"Moshi-moshi" he said impatiently.

"Kio?"

"Hai, Sou-chan?" Kio brightened at the sound of his friend's voice.

"Where's Zero?" right down to business. Kio hated that tone.

"Which zero?" Hearing silence on the other line, he sighed. "I don't know where the brats are. Sheesh. They stick around me, not the other way around. Normally."

Silence again.

"What do you want, Soubi?" Kio snapped, annoyed.

"I'm thinking."

He rolled his eyes. "Go ahead, then, take your time. It's not like you're wasting mine."

"They're not picking up their cellphones. That's all."

"You sound like a worried parent" Kio teased. "They didn't pick up, so what?"

"Never mind. I guess they changed their minds." Soubi sounded puzzled.

"I'll check up on them." Kio offered.

"Thanks" Soubi hung up.

Kio stared at the phone. "Well, that's a first." He laughed. "Sou-chan's worried about someone other than Ritsuka - who would've thought." Sending a longing look in the direction of the painting, he stuck the chupa back into his mouth and set off toward the boys' room. _Oh well, I'll finish later. Hopefully.

* * *

_

The dark melted away as a long-haired boy swayed on his feet, then fell to the ground. All was quiet - even the wind seemed to hold its breath.

"NOOOOOOOO! YOUJI!" Natsuo's scream broke the silence as he knelt over his once more unmoving sacrifice. "What did you do to him? You said you couldn't activate that spell anymore!" Wrapping his arms around Youji's torso, he managed to pull him partially onto his lap. He sobbed inconsolably, crystal teardrops falling onto aquamarine hair. Embracing the lifeless body of his partner.

"We can't" Yamato shrugged indifferently. "You fought weakly. It was your own fault this time."

"Yamato. We're finished here." her fighter called to her, walking away. Spinning on her heel, Yamato turned and skipped quietly after Kouya's retreating back, blond hair streaming behind her.

Soon, the only sounds Natsuo could hear were that of his own ragged breaths, the rasp of his throat after crying hard. His lips trembled and each inhale felt like a battle. He wiped at the tears still streaming down his face. "Y-Youji" The sentouki's voice caught for a moment. He swallowed. "Youji.. you're not really dead. You.. you're just knocked out, right?"  
. . . . . silence followed.

Natsuo buried his face in the motionless boy's long hair. "I'm going to miss you." he whispered. _I know how the stormy sky feels._ He shuddered, then collapsed, weeping bitterly.

_*Flashback*_

_"Wait, isn't that..?" Youji stared in disbelief, his countenance mirroring Natsuo's._

_"We are Zero." a sinister grin appeared on the blond girl's face as the other continued, "We declare a spell battle. **System expand.**"_

_Youji gripped Natsuo's arm. "Accept." he said, looking determined. Natsuo nodded._

_"We accept. **System expand.**"_

_The darkness that was their battleground them, blacker than midnight._

_Natsuo held up a hand. "First, before we start - why are you back?"_

_"And _how_." Youji nodded "We thought you were dead." Natsuo gripped his hand and squeezed it in agreement._

_"Huh. You would think that, would you." came Yamato's condescending remark. The boys ignored her, waiting for Kouya to give them a sensible reply. Kouya blinked owlishly through her glasses, taking a moment to respond._

_"We _weren't_ dead. Close to it, when Nagisa-sensei found us. She was at her wits end, trying to nurse us back to health. She managed, barely, and decided to keep us a secret - at least, until she could get me a new.. sacrifice." Kouya flinched slightly here._

_"As it turns out," Yamato caught up the story, "that was unnecessary. My fighting name reappeared where it used to be, s-"_

_"Don't offer to show us." Youji interrupted warily._

_Yamato glared. "I was going to say, 'so she let me stay'" The boys snickered. Her glare became something dangerous._

_"As to why we're here," the dark-haired fighter jumped in, "we have unfinished business with the two of you. There doesn't need to be two Zero teams. From now on there will be only one - you, or us."_

_"Don't worry, it's a fair fight this time." Yamato commented. "We can no longer activate that spell we used last time."_

_"So it wouldn't be a fair fight if you still could." Natsuo clarified._

_Yamato shrugged, her smile back, malicious as ever._

_"Okay, chat's over." Youji announced. He grinned at the redhead. "Time to crush them to dust. You go first."_

_*End flashback*_

Natsuo had held back. Now he wondered why. Why hadn't he sent the most powerful attacks he could? He was a failure as a fighter. He'd never feared anything before, ever. Why now?

Now, as he huddled over his dead best friend, more than anything, he wished he could undo everything. Or just die. _Anything but this, please._ Choking back more unshed tears, he lifted his head.

Suddenly, something flew into his face, knocking him to the ground. As he sprawled onto his back, he yelped, then everything went black. He welcomed the darkness. Anything but the pain. Anything. His last wish was that he hadn't let Youji down.

_I'm sorry, Youji.

* * *

_

**What a difficult chapter! I had such a hard time writing this... wow. But, amazingly, I now have it up! Awesome.**

**Thanks so much to _the upward glance_ for reviewing on my first story! Also, thanks to all my wonderful friends who told me "Your story is great! You should write more!" You know who you are. I love you. Also, thank you to those who favorited _Are Black Cats Evil_. That's so encouraging!**  
**And thanks to my silly, awesome family, who put up with my crazy imagination. Especially, Sushi-sensei, for helping my imagination to grow, and for being my partner in so many things!**

**I hoped you, the reader, enjoyed this chapter! Please review, and tell me if I should continue writing this fanfic! *chu***


	2. I Wonder

**I know, this the shortest chapter in history. Still, I think this little bit is needed before I can give the rest of the story, so enjoy!**

**Once again, I don't own Loveless. :)**

**(By the way, though no one seems to mind, I'll mention that I honestly have no idea whether or not Kio really does paint. The manga never shows him painting, however it never states directly that he does _not_ paint, so I made him do some. ^_^)  
**

**Chapter 2: I Wonder**

_Everything's dark.. I can't see anything. Where is this? Where am I?_

His mind seemed slowed down, unable to understand what was going on. Something had happened, he knew that much, but he couldn't name it. He was missing something, had lost something.. or was it some_one? _

_Stop it! I don't to remember, not yet. Please.._

And yet, his mind was clearing, his senses waking up. He kept his eyes tightly shut.

He countered a new question, not realizing at first how much it could hurt.

_Where's Youji? _As he searched for the answer, the boy stumbled upon the knowledge he'd wished never to find again.

_Youji._

Once more, the tears began to flow.

"No way. Don't start that again!"

Someone nearby gave a groan and smacked Natsuo on the head. Startled, he let his eyes fly open. Wide.

An annoyed/puzzled-looking boy leaned over him, his hair falling onto Natsuo's face.

"Huh?" Natsuo stared blankly, not sure whether he was hallucinating or dead.

That unmistakable shade of aquamarine. Unique voice. A face like no other.

"Youji?"

* * *

Yamato yawned boredly while playing with Kouya's hair, trying in vain to force the other girl's short locks into tiny braids. Once more, her fighter had found an 'interesting' book and was totally engrossed. Usually she wouldn't have minded, but it had been hours since the last exciting event. Also, they were both still healing up from their earlier self-inflicted injuries. Kouya would never complain, even if she _could've_ felt the pain, so Yamato did all the complaining for both of them. It was annoying that, once in a while, little bits of pain and temperature-sensitivity would penetrate her now near-constant barrier of numbness. But her Zero qualities were improving as she came closer to full recovery, so she didn't care too much.

"Kouya" Yamato poked the black-haired sentouki. Kouya's eyes flicked to her face, then back to the page.

"Let me finish this chapter." and her gaze resumed its journey down the word-covered paper.

"Did we kill him?" She asked six minute later. A long silence ensued.

Kouya shrugged. "No, I don't think so. Why?"

"Just curious. Sometimes I wonder what happened after we left. That curly-haired kid seemed pretty upset." Yamato bit her lip. "I know we were mad, but shouldn't we have waited to ask Nagisa-sensei?" There was no answer.

"Let's return, Kouya. I'd like to see how it ended."

* * *

**That's it. I told you it was short. :P Gomennasai, but hopefully I'll be able to upload the next chapter soon! I hope you liked!**

**Thanks so much to Kinbaku-bi Romance, promocat, and Rimahikofan for the reviews! Hugs to all of you.**

**Until next chapter!  
**


	3. What We Say When We're Alone

**Thirrrrrrd chappy! I'm amazed that I've kept it going even just this long! (It's a long time for me.)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless, of course. But certain characters are so cool that I'd love to! *evil laugh***

**Ritsuka: *ignoring***

**RJules: ...I think he doesn't like me much.. Well, whatever. Enjoy, everyone!^^**

**Chapter 3: What We Say When We're Alone**

"Those kids!" Kio grumbled, walking down the street and growling to himself. "First they'd like to go somewhere with Sou-chan, then they suddenly change their mind. They don't even notify him, and when I check up they're locked up in their room and won't reply until I'm ready to take the door down. And even then, the nicest thing that brat can say is 'shut up, Natsuo's sleeping!'" Kio huffed in annoyance, then checked his watch. He slumped.

"...and now I'm late." He sighed, deflated.

* * *

Youji's stare remained quizzical. "What?" he demanded, somewhat miffed that his fighter could do nothing but lie there, staring stupidly up at him.

"You were dead" came Natsuo's rather dumb-sounding reply. He made it sound somewhere in between a statement and question. Youji was positively gaping now. He distractedly wondered how long it would take until his eyebrows rose so high they'd reach his hairline.

"_Riiiight._" he stretched the monosyllable, letting sarcasm leak all over it in the process. "_You're_ the one who sounded like he was dying, screaming and crying like you were." Natsuo blinked, seeming dazed.

Youji stood and stretched.

"Feels like I'm still asleep..." his sentouki scratched his scalp. "...but I'm not, huh. I'd ask you to pinch me," he said, looking serious, "but I wouldn't feel it anyways."

"So what do you expect me to do?" the mint-haired boy placed his hands on his hips. "Caramelldansen?" For a moment strained silence reigned.

"_Pfffft_" Natsuo's face turned quite red with the effort it took not to laugh.

Relieved, Youji walked back to the window, where'd he'd been while Natsuo had slept. Before long his partner had given in to laughter, his howls echoing about the room.

"I can tell you something else funny, you know." he stated once the noise had quieted.

"What?" the other boy wiped at his eye, sitting up in bed.

"You slept through our meeting with Soubi."

". . ." Natsuo stared, his mouth slightly agape. When he finally found his voice, he could say only one word.

"Shoot."

* * *

All around the room, the quiet drowned out any possibility of noise. A flickering candle stood on a dresser next to a discarded yellow rose, once the gift of an acquaintance. An open window suggested that sounds may come and fill the empty room, but it seemed that even the creatures of the outdoors dared not to chirp, chitter, or scamper. All was as silent as the night before Christmas. More so, even, for the air itself was heavy with an unnatural stillness. The heavy stillness of thought, deep thought.

Reclining upon the chair near the window was the source of all this stillness, face nearly blank, eyes a tad troubled. A girl near to entering her teens. Light green hair falling around a white, wistful face. On her mind was a boy, a stranger she had seen, had spoken to briefly - or rather, had been spoken to by him - and now wondered about.

Her thoughts were on attraction, interest, possibly romance.

"Where are you?" she whispered.

* * *

_"Seimei. Ne, ne, Seimei!"_

_"Mhm.."_

_"Aniki, you're not listening!"_

_"I am."_

_"You're not, you're reading."_

_"..."_

_"Seimei, put the book down!"_

_A groan. "Alright, now what do you want?"_

_"What does alone mean?"_

_"It's what I was before you came to torture the life out of me." A smile graced Seimei's lips._

_"Really." Sceptically._

_Seimei's laughs filled the room._

_"Be serious."_

_Another smile. A hand reached out to stroke Ritsuka's hair._

_"'Alone' is a sad word. It's when you have no one but yourself to turn to. It means loneliness, boredom, fear, emptiness... Why don't you ask about something more cheerful?"_

_"Seimei wouldn't leave me alone, would you?"_

_Slight hesitation._

_"You wouldn't, right?"_

_"No one could leave you." he gave a light chuckle. Ritsuka took that as a yes._

_He giggled delightedly and ran off, satisfied._

Seimei pondered over the memory, frowning slightly with the weightiness of it, his eyelashes tapping lightly against the tops of his cheeks each time he blinked. _In the end, it still felt as if I betrayed him,_ he mused. _Leaving him with no protection... no memory. I guess that does make me guilty._

Minutes later he closed his eyes and smiled, a different thought chasing away the gloom in his mind.

* * *

Ritsuka lay thinking on his bed, staring at the ceiling overhead. Cracks as thin as the tip of a needle crisscrossed back and forth across the dull white surface, similar to a spider's web in some ways. Ritsuka decided it wasn't too different from his life, caught and unable to find his true self. Or the answers to his many questions.

_Where had Seimei been so long? Was Seimei angry with him for his defeat?_

_"Soubi, fight them and win."_

_"Yes master."_

A slight flicker of surprise had crossed momentarily over Soubi's face, even as he uttered the words that signaled his submission. Then, eyelids lowered, he attacked, strangely enough not even heeding his former master's orders - and at length, pleas - to stop.

Only Ritsuka's call had brought him to a halt.

_"Stop! Don't kill them!"_

_Soubi. What was he thinking, in that moment?_

The web of cracks gave him no answer, just continued to start at many points, ending in hundreds of new places, none straight. All as tangled as himself.

* * *

Both brothers in their own rooms each stared up in thought, in the search for answers. Both felt the dawn of something new coming on. They could only hope it was something good.

One closed his eyes and drifted into another world, having made his decision.

The other continued staring, struggling. He looked for a long time.

* * *

**Finally done! I'm so happy to get this one out at last... (Sorry it's so short *sweatdrops*)**

**Thanks so much to Kinbaku-bi Romance and klagana1 for the reviews. A hug to each of you! You guys are such an encouragement.. :)  
What do you think of the current situation?**

**And thank you for reading this, anyone who's read this far! If you feel like there's something worth mentioning in here, then review.**

**Until next time!  
**


	4. CANCELLED

**This story is officially CANCELLED.**

I've been too busy to upload anything for a really long time, and - to be honest - I don't even  
remember how this story is supposed to end, by the time I've come back to it. So if you want an  
ending, either come up with your own, or ask me for a quick ending told in a couple sentences,  
and I'll see what I can do for you.

I'm sorry, and hope you'll visit my new account, **OreNoPapaya**, when my new fanfics come out.  
To everyone who read me thus far, thank you so much for the support, and I hope to see you again.

**RJules**


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